Kate del Castillo Negrete Trillo (born October 23, 1972) is a Mexican and US actress. At the age of 18, del Castillo became known for her lead role in the telenovela Muchachitas for Televisa in 1991. Afterwards, she continued her career in film and television in Latin America. In 2011, del Castillo earned recognition in the United States for playing the lead role in La Reina del Sur. Subsequently, del Castillo has worked in several American TV series and had supporting roles in Hollywood feature films.